In Kerala, Mayawati promises reservation to Dalit Christians

Thiruvananthapuram, March 21 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday promised reservation to Dalit Christians and upper caste poor as she launched her poll campaign from here. Mayawati flew to the Kerala capital to kick off her nationwide 52-day poll campaign, vowing to clamp down on terrorism and Maoist violence in the country.

“Labourers, religious minorities and the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe communities continue to be aggrieved even 61 years after independence. Many from these communities have taken to Naxalism (Maoism) and other wrong ways because of this neglect,” said Mayawati.

She spoke in Hindi for nearly 40 minutes and her speech was translated into Malayalam.

“The BSP has clear cut policies on foreign affairs, agriculture and economics. All post-independence governments have sacrificed governance to the interests of the rich land-owning class,” she said.

The BSP has decided to contest all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Its star candidate here will be former Congress MP and three time former state minister Neelalohithadasan Nadar, who has been in a number of parties during his political career.

Nadar is contesting from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, which he won in 1980 trouncing then veteran Communist Party of India leader M.N. Govindan Nair. One of his rivals this time will be Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor, former UN under secretary-general.